Britain's leading tourist attraction? The Queen

Reports made recently by Visit Britain revealed that the Queen of England and the Royal family generate close to £500 million in revenues every year for tourism. Who are the Queen’s biggest fans? Russians, Malaysians and Brazilians!

London of course attracts visitors from around the world for a number of reasons, but the Royal sights come out on top each and every year as the most visited tourist attractions. The Tower of London which is home to the Crown Jewels, is the most popular, with 2.4 million tourist visits annually.

Close to a million people visited Windsor Castle in 2009, more than double the amount of tourists that visited Buckingham Palace, with only 402,000 visitors.

It’s not only historic sights around London, but the royal residences throughout England and Scotland as well that attract millions. Lavish mansions and palaces surrounded by well-kept estates give visitors just a taste of what it must be like to live like a queen. Many of the royal residences are open to the public, at least the grounds and certain rooms.

If you’re interested in a Royal visit to England or Scotland, make a holiday of it! There are great deals on cheap flights to London thanks to European low cost airlines like Ryanair, easyJet, Air Berlin and Flybe. Take a look at these Royal attractions, you might even catch a glimpse of the Queen herself!